Experimental Analysis of Microhabitat Selection by Juvenile Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Coho Salmon (O. kisutch) in a British Columbia Stream

Replicate experiments were conducted in the Salmon River, British Columbia, during early summer 1990 to test the relative importance of velocity refuge, visual isolation, and overhead cover to microhabitat selection by steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) parr and age-0 coho salmon (O. kisutch). Four types of artificial Plexiglas structures, the first three of identical construction, had different portions painted to provide increasing habitat complexity: velocity refuge alone, velocity refuge with visual isolation, all three features combined, and overhead cover alone. Steelhead parr selected structures with overhead cover alone or all three features significantly more often than those without overhead cover. Steelhead also selected structures adjacent to the swiftest velocities available and closest to other natural overhead cover, which accounted for most differences in use of the same structure in different locations. In contrast, few age-0 coho salmon used any structures. Those that did selected the three types of structures with velocity refuge about equally, but significantly more often than those with overhead cover alone, regardless of their location. Field experiments such as this hold promise for elucidating mechanisms of habitat selection by stream salmonids.